Today Bible Verse
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.” (Exodus 20:12, NIV)
Today Reflection
God sees parents as one of the greatest gifts and responsibilities in life. He places a high calling on them to love, teach, and guide their children in his ways. Scripture says children are a heritage from the Lord. And parents are called to raise them with love and discipline.
But what happens when parents fail to live up to this? Some children have been neglected, abandoned, or hurt deeply by those who were supposed to love them most. It can be hard to honor such a parent who didn’t protect or care for us the way God intended.
Yet, God’s command does not depend on whether our parents have been good or not. Honoring doesn’t mean ignoring all their wrongs or pretending the pain isn’t real. It means choosing to see them as human beings in need of God’s grace, just as we are.
To honor parents who haven’t acted honorably, we start by bringing our pain to God. Pray for them, asking God to work in their hearts and to heal yours. Sometimes honoring means setting healthy boundaries while still showing respect.
If your parents are still alive, seek ways to help meet their basic needs, like food or medical care, as a way to honor them. If they have passed away, choosing to forgive them is another way to honor them and free your heart from bitterness.
Remember, honor is about reflecting Christ’s love and living in a way that pleases God. When we honor our parents, even when it’s hard, we are really honoring our heavenly father who is perfect and who holds our hurts with compassion.
Today Prayer
Heavenly Father, you see the struggles we face in honoring our parents, especially when they have failed us. Give us the grace to forgive, the wisdom to set healthy boundaries, and the strength to reflect your love. Teach us to honor them in ways that bring glory to you even when it feels impossible. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
In Other Translations
- KJV (King James Version): “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.”
- AMP (Amplified Bible): “Honor (respect, obey, care for) your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged in the land the LORD your God gives you.”
- NLT (New Living Translation): “Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
- NASB (New American Standard Bible): “Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be prolonged on the land which the Lord your God gives you.”
- ESV (English Standard Version): “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”
Related Verses
- Ephesians 6:1-3: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’—which is the first commandment with a promise— ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’”
- Colossians 3:20: “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
- Proverbs 23:22: “Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old.”
- Leviticus 19:3: “Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am the Lord your God.”
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